VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH • SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2022 • 21
Coach: John Skiba
2021 record: 2-7, 1-4 in
Class 2A Allegheny Conference
All-time record: 226-284-9
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
8.26 Leechburg 7
9.2 Valley 7
9.9 at Deer Lakes 7
9.16 Ligonier Valley* 7
9.23 at Derry* 7
9.30 at Steel Valley* 7
10.7 Imani Christian* 7
10.14 at Yough* 7
10.21 Serra Catholic* 7
10.28 at Burrell* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing: Karter Schrock
47-95, 772 yards, 4 TDs
Rushing: Nick Curci
79-530, 7 TDs
Receiving: Curci
19-299, 3 TDs
FAST FACTS
• When Apollo-Ridge’s game
with Freeport was called off
last year, it marked the first
time in school history that the
Vikings did not play a school
from Armstrong County.
• Apollo-Ridge’s game against
Yough on Oct. 14 will be the
first time the schools have
played since 1983. The Vikings
are 6-0 against the Cougars
all-time. Both schools came on
the scene in 1969.
• First-time opponents this
year include Derry and Imani
Christian.
APOLLO-RIDGE LOOKING TO
STAY HEALTHY, BOUNCE BACK
No. Name Pos. Ht/Wt. Cl.
1 Alexander Clawson QB/FS 5-10/138 Fr.
2 Alexander Wurmb WR/DB 5-8/130 Jr.
3 Logan Bianco RB/WS 5-8/135 Jr.
4 Richard Peach WR/CB 5-5/140 Fr.
5 Gage Johnston TE/SS 6-3/205 Sr.
6 Corbin Johnston TE/DE 6-1/200 Sr.
7 Gabriel Suman WR/DB 5-10/148 So.
8 Karter Schrock QB/WS 5-11/185 Jr.
9 Corey Mackintosh WR/LB 5-11/198 So.
10 Avery Grant RB/LB 5-4/135 Fr.
12 Jacob Mull WR/DB 5-11/157 Sr.
14 Darek Baustert WR/DB 6-2/155 Sr.
17 Michael Fryer RB/LB 6-0/190 Sr.
20 Jaden McCray WR/CB 6-1/159 Fr.
30 Luke Fox K 5-11/135 Jr.
31 Dominick Curci RB/LB 6-2/230 Sr.
32 Seth Mahaffey RB/S 6-0/165 So.
33 Calvin Rodnicki WR/FS 5-9/1/30 Fr.
40 Kaden Ashmore RB/LB 5-10/170 So.
41 Landon Harmon RB/DE 5-10/220 Sr.
47 Caden Sekscinski RB/LB 5-10/175 So.
50 Damon Harkleroad OL/DT 6-0/175 Fr.
51 Mason Crawford OT/DE 5-10/227 So.
52 Tyler Syster C/LB 5-11/158 Fr.
54 Tyler Jaworskyj G/DT 5-10/205 Sr.
55 Ethan Mackintosh OL/DE 5-9/177 Fr.
56 Spencer Sells OL/DT 5-8/270 Jr.
57 Cooper Gourley OL/DE 6-1/250 Sr.
58 David Cochran G/LB 5-10/163 So.
59 Josh McKendree OL/DT 5-8/240 Fr.
62 Ethen Kowalczyk OL/DT 5-9/230 So.
66 Michael Grant C/DE 5-5/164 Sr.
71 Tyler Bartell OT/DE 6-3/225 So.
72 Connor Weigand OL/DT 6-0/245 Sr.
76 Connor Bogdanski OL/DT 6-3/300 Fr.
77 Ryan Lydon OT/DT 5-8/305 So.
78 Nate Simpson C/DT 5-8/335 Sr.
81 Charles Frain WR/DB 5-7/136 Fr.
86 Nathan Fryer WR/SS 5-11/166 Fr.
88 Breydon Orvosh WR/DB 5-11/155 Fr.
ROSTER
When coach John Skiba reviewed
video of Apollo-Ridge
games last season, he rarely saw
his prospective starting lineup on
the field.
That’s because the Vikings were
plagued by a variety of injuries
and illnesses that led to a 1-4 record
in Allegheny Conference play, 2-7
overall.
In fact, in the game against
Greensburg Central Catholic, lineman
Bradey Schrock was listed
as the backup quarterback. Not
a lot of players with No. 57 play
quarterback.
“I looked back at game film and
saw, ‘He wasn’t there. He wasn’t
there.’ It was hodgepodge week
to week,” Skiba said. “We still
had covid issues, Nick (Curci)
had pneumonia, and we had some
injuries.”
The Vikings are healthier now
and looking forward to a bounceback
season. There are 42 players
on the roster, so depth could be
available, though Skiba said the
depth will consist of freshmen and
sophomores. Six starters return on
offense, five on defense.
New teams are joining
Apollo-Ridge in the conference.
Burrell, a team the Vikings have
played 33 times in the past, has
moved into the conference, joining
mainstays Ligonier Valley, Serra
Catholic and Steel Valley. Imani
Christian, Yough and Derry also
join the conference.
“We know them. They know us.
That’s the fun part of it,” Skiba
said. “The new teams moving in
will provide good competition. It
makes our conference a little more
solid.”
Karter Schrock, now a junior,
and Curci, a senior, will be the
players the Vikings build around.
Said Skiba: “They set the tones
for both sides of the football. They
both have done so much work in
the offseason to get ready. Karter
has put on more size and strength.
I think Nick has gotten rid of all the
effects of pneumonia. That was a
hard season for him.”
“I’m ready to go,” Curci said. “I
changed my training and I feel I’m
a lot more healthier and in shape
and ready to come back and have a
full season. We’ll be ready to roll.”
Curci worked extensively on improving
ankle and knee strength,
along with working on joints and
ligaments. Though he played just
six games, Curci led the team in
rushing, receiving and in tackles
with 29.
“I did a ton of rehab in the offseason,
a lot of ankle support,”
Schrock said. “I feel like if we all
stay healthy, we can make a run at
the playoffs. You can see that we all
want to work this year. We’re going
to have some real competition
and we need to be ready for it.”
Other players the Vikings are
counting on are running back/defensive
end Landon Harmon, running
back/inside linebacker Mike
Fryer and two-way linemen Connor
Weigand and Cooper Gourley.
The biggest hole the Vikings
have to fill is replacing star lineman
Greg Klingensmith, now at
William & Mary.
Among the newcomers to the
lineup will be Mike Grant (C/DE),
Nate Simpson (OT/DT), Ryan Lydon
(OL/DT) and Seth Mahaffey
(RB/S).
Apollo-Ridge opens its 54th season
with Leechburg at home. Gourley,
for one, doesn’t mind opening
the season with a geographic rival.
“It’s exciting to open with them,”
Gourley said. “I want to beat them
and I’ll be ready for that.”
by GEORGE GUIDO
APOLLO-RIDGE • ALLEGHENY
LANDON HARMON
NICK CURCI